


The Solitary World

by NanakiBH



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Final Fantasy Versus XIII AU, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Melancholy, Psychological Drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-03-01
Packaged: 2018-09-27 18:50:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10039538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NanakiBH/pseuds/NanakiBH
Summary: A reality based on fantasy.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be something of a Versus AU. It's not unrelated to XV, but you should expect some differences. Although I've used the existing Versus trailers to approximate a storyline, this isn't strictly an interpretation of what Versus would have been. (And I'm going to inject as much ignoct as I want. Because I can.)
> 
> I'm going to update this whenever I feel like it. Could get really long.

Peace between the kingdoms.

That was what it was supposed to be about; a lot of hollow glamour and platitudes that would amount to a whole lot of nothing. A ceasefire was called with the signing of a treaty between the Lucian and Niflheim kingdoms for the fair sharing of the Lucian crystal. Though it looked like it could be the dawning of a long-awaited peace, Noctis wasn't so naïve that he would trust the enemy that had been after his and his father's lives for as long as he was capable of remembering.

It was solely for his father's sake that he dressed himself in a suit and attended the celebration of the treaty's signing.

 

Restless, feeling irritated by the people around him who hadn't a sincere smile to give him, Noctis wedged his way through the crowd on the floor of the party and aimed toward the stairs, looking for an escape. If he had to talk to one more person who only pretended to have an interest in him beyond his name, he wouldn't have been held accountable for what he would do. To avoid them, he kept his eyes lowered and his head ducked, hoping that he put out an air of unapproachableness.

Once he was at the top of the stairs, he let out a breath and cautiously raised his head. His gaze fell upon the brightness of the stars outside the windows, decorating the sky above the city with their light. The sight of the starry sky gave him a fond feeling, recalling the sensation of distant memories from his childhood that had melted into obscurity. However, that feeling was tainted by an uneasy weight that always lingered at the edge of his consciousness. All he had to do was raise his eyes a little higher to find the stream of coursing light that bridged the stars to the land of the dead.

Like always, he planned to ignore it and pretend he couldn't see it. It was better not to acknowledge its existence.

The guests must have been too attracted to the bar and the monotone sound of fake conversation to even realize that there was an upper level. At first glance, he believed he was alone with just the view of the night city until he realized that there was another person with him.

In front of the windows at the middle of the level, there was a painting of the Goddess of the Dead, Etro, being held up by a grotesque statue of a hooded skeleton that served as its picture frame. Whoever put it there had some terrible taste...

But there was a girl in a white dress who was standing before that painting who looked absolutely enthralled by it.

Noctis dropped his gaze, but it was already too late. The girl noticed him and was looking in his direction.

At least she wasn't approaching.

Arbitrarily deciding that she wasn't a bother, Noctis stood there. He didn't mind sharing a silence with someone.

Until she spoke.

“You can see it, can't you? I can also see the light.”

That wasn't a very kind way to greet someone. It was in poor taste to bring that up, he thought. Anyone who heard the rumor about his ability to see the light knew that such ability came at a heavy cost. It wasn't something he was fond of speaking about with anyone, let alone a stranger. So for her to say something like that without even an introduction first...

“How nice for you,” he said, keeping his face expressionless and his tone sardonic. “If you're serious, then you must've also had a real bad time, so I'm surprised you can smile when you say that. Was it fun when you almost died?”

With a look of innocent confusion that gave him pause, she stared at him and then replied with the most genuine voice he'd heard all night. “Is dying really something so terrible? Maybe I do seem strange for not thinking so... But I've felt that way since I was young. Ever since I encountered that light, I haven't felt the same. It was so bright and gentle and warm...”

Interesting. But he didn't share her thoughts.

That light... He knew it wasn't something so kind. It was a consuming force that opened its maw to swallow the souls of the dead. Supposedly, Etro was somewhere beyond that light, but he hadn't seen her. The only thing he could recall was a young voice. It was so long ago, he wasn't sure he could rely on his memory anymore. That voice may as well have been his own; the wailing of a child in anguish.

He walked past her, wishing to get away from the conversation before she could say anything else, but she began following him, keeping up with each of his steps. “Look,” he said firmly, only sparing one glance over his shoulder as he walked, “you shouldn't go around telling people that you're able to see that light. You could find yourself in a bad situation. People don't like anyone who's different.”

“It's not every day I meet someone else who's able to see it. I must admit, Prince Noctis, I was excited to attend when I heard that you would be here. I really wanted to speak to you.”

He stopped, startling her to a halt behind him, one step away.

She realized that his silence was her place for an introduction. “Stella,” she said, “of the Nox Fleuret house.”

“Ah. From Tenebrae. I should have assumed as much with your white dress and all. You don't see people dressed like that around here. It's all gloom. Black on every day of the week.”

With a small nod, she smiled again, looking like she thought he was inviting her to continue her one-sided conversation. “You know, in Tenebrae, we have a legend about that light. I'm sure you know the part about Etro opening up the gates to the land of the dead where she welcomes fallen souls, but we also believe that the light can grant power to those who see it. Have you heard about that?”

That wasn't anything new. There was a time when he had researched the light on his own, searching for a way to go beyond it and return what it stole... In the end, as far as he was concerned, it was all just a fairytale. Even if he could see it there, even if he'd stood before the gates himself, it was meaningless. There was nothing fascinating about it.

“We have that legend here, too,” he said. “It's the same everywhere. If one who can see the light makes a sacrifice, then they will be granted the light's power... That's how it goes. But I was already born with all the power I could want, so something like that doesn't interest me. I haven't heard anything to suggest that the legend is true, so it may as well just be a legend. It doesn't matter.”

He wanted to leave.

As he turned and began to walk again, heading back toward the stairs, she followed, appearing dissatisfied with his answer. “Then... What do you think the light is for? Why are we able to see it?”

“You're awfully persistent.” He didn't want to sound rude, but it was getting difficult to keep up with someone whose opinions he didn't share in a conversation he was only an unwitting participant in. Were he in a better mood or if their conversation had been about anything else, he may have found her persistence endearing. As it was, it was just exhausting. “Does it have to have a deeper meaning? It's just a light in the sky. That's all. Being able to see it isn't a privilege or a gift. It's just a coincidence.”

It took a moment before he realized that she'd stopped following him. He should have kept going, but it felt wrong to leave it there. He expected her to say something.

She looked disappointed. “Really? Is that really all it is...?” She looked back up at him, her eyes searching his gaze. “Could you tell me, Prince Noctis – is there something you want? If the light could truly grant you power, then what would you do with it?”

“First of all, could you stop calling me that? 'Noct' is fine.” He didn't have to let her know that it was a nickname reserved only for his closest friends. She was just strange enough to be allowed to use it. “Now, like I said, I already have power, so-...”

He finally realized what she was really asking.

There were bound to be people who would be interested in using him and his ability to see the light of the dead for their own gains somehow, but there was no telling whether its 'power' would grant them physical strength. That was something he already had anyway, but if the light granted him something else... Then what would he use it for? What did he want?

Her smile returned. It was a little mysterious.

“Everyone has something they want.”

Noctis felt like that was true, but, all of a sudden, his life story felt like a blank in his mind. Suddenly, he couldn't remember enough about himself to say what it was he wanted most. All of the things he had once wanted had been abandoned and laid to rest in the past. There was nothing his present self wanted more than a simple rest.

He wanted to close his eyes.

And when he opened them, perhaps, he wanted the world to be different.

“Yeah... I might have something like that.”

Maybe.

“They say that it would be like a nightmare, obtaining that power, having to sacrifice someone dear, but I feel as though I already received the light's power tonight just by being able to speak with you, Prince Noctis.”

What an odd girl.

He couldn't help but laugh.

“There you go again. What did I tell you? It's 'Noct'.”

She nodded and began to move away, stepping back. “Alright. I'll remember. I'll be sure to call you that next time we meet.”

Just as abruptly as he'd met her, she was already gone.

Noctis remained where he was, his eyes blankly staring into the space where she'd been.

“Stella, huh...? Like a 'star', I guess.”

That was where he turned his gaze, looking back out through the windows, toward the starry sky. The light was still there, but perhaps it was easier to ignore for the moment. He was just unsettled. Something about their meeting felt prescribed, like he'd fallen into it and watched it play out without having taken a step of his own. It moved so quickly. The pace was entirely hers. Her mysterious manner left him feeling more restless than before.

She said they would meet again, but he had to wonder what a second encounter would bring.

Having suffered through his own near-death experience was enough. In the end, she seemed harmless, but he didn't enjoy meeting someone who was like him. It felt like an omen.

 

Before leaving, he took another look at the painting she'd been so fixated on when he arrived.

_“Who are you?”_

The voice in his memory remained too distinct to be something he fabricated once in a dream.

“Etro, the one who watches mankind with sympathetic eyes, who knows the suffering of every person... I'm Noctis. You're supposed to know that.”

 

On his way back down the stairs, Noctis pulled his eyes away from his feet and searched the heads of the people on the floor. If she had still been there, Stella would have stuck out like a sore thumb, but he saw no sign of her. It must have been like she said; she was only there to see him. Once she was satisfied, she was gone.

He did spy his chamberlain, however.

As soon as their eyes locked, Ignis was hastily walking his way. Noctis was half-tempted to turn himself back around, having the feeling that he could be in for an earful.

“Highness. Could you please not run off like that? It's troublesome for me when you disappear from my sight.”

“Take it easy,” Noctis said, giving him a pat on the chest. “All I did was go upstairs. Besides, I couldn't get into any trouble around here, could I?”

Ignis's cutely worried face became more stern. He took a step closer and lowered his voice. “Are you sure about that? Please consider your company. If I were you, I wouldn't be feeling so carefree.”

He may have had a point. Looking at all the people dressed in black who were smiling fake smiles and forcing laughs made Noctis feel irritated, but he should have been more suspicious of them. All of them had things they were concealing. Even their own people had things up their sleeves. The attacks and invasions were doomed to never cease if none of them sincerely believed in peace.

“Remember? As long as you stay close to me, I'll protect you. That's what I'm here for.”

Again, Ignis wasn't wrong. Just by existing, Noctis was a target of the empire, but that was also what made him feel like he needed to occasionally step away. Because Ignis was the person he trusted more than anyone, he also wanted to protect him, and sometimes it felt like being by himself was the only way he could accomplish that.

It was his fault that Ignis had to live his life thinking only about him. They weren't kids anymore. Was he still okay with that?

“Did you like it better up there?”

Noctis blinked. “Huh?”

“The upper floor,” Ignis said, pointing up. “You went up there because there were fewer people, didn't you? I'll go with you.”

“You don't think I should be socializing...?”

With a laugh, Ignis pushed up his glasses, then gave him a pat on the back. His hand stayed as he began guiding him toward the stairs. “It's alright this time. I recognize some faces, but I'm not comfortable with this atmosphere. It's a little too forced for my liking. I'd rather speak to those who are willing to be candid. Not going to get anything out of this crowd.”

So they were in agreement.

“That's a relief. I thought you were going to hassle me about it. I can't stand it here. Listening to these people talk about how great this is going to be for the kingdoms makes me feel like I must be from an alternate universe. I know they don't believe it, but it really starts to mess with you, you know?”

“I can only assume that they're benefiting from this in some way. It's sarcasm.”

“It's annoying.”

Ignis's hand only left his back once they were on the second floor, away from everyone else.

He looked good in a suit.

With an eye on Ignis, Noctis went to sit on the leather couch next to the railing that overlooked the floor below. Ignis went to the painting that Stella had been looking at and stood in front of it. Noctis was curious to hear what he thought of it, so he felt relieved when he saw the look of distaste on Ignis's face when he turned around.

“Rather grim, isn't it? Whoever put this here has some dark taste.”

Noctis sat up, excitedly putting his hands on his knees. “ _Right?_ It's creepy!”

“It sounds like you already formed an opinion before I got here.” After a second's thought, realizing the subject of the painting, his amused smile slipped off his face. Slowly, he looked up at the sky through the broad windows. “Is it there right now? Etro's gate.”

Pushing himself up, Noctis went over and stood next to him. He craned his head to the side, nudging his shoulder against Ignis's. “Yep. Still there.” Sometimes, he wished that Ignis could see it, too. It was terrible to wish for something like that, but... “Can you really not see it? It's there like it always is. It's really bright.”

With a smile that looked a little sad, Ignis shook his head and put his arm around Noctis's back and held his shoulder, allowing him to rest against his side.

Noctis felt tired.

“I can't see it, but there are a lot of other lights I see,” Ignis said. “The stars are particularly stunning tonight. Why not think of it as just another star? If it's as bright as you say, then perhaps it can grant a wish equivalent to ten or twenty shooting stars.”

Although Noctis was reminded of his earlier conversation, it was impossible for him to slip into that old feeling of hopelessness when Ignis was there, his warm palm on his shoulder. There was hope in Ignis's eyes as he looked at the stars. Maybe, rather than hope, it was naïvety... But Noctis enjoyed it. He wanted to share in it even if it made him little different from the people he criticized.

If it were for the sake of making his world more comfortable to live in, then it was alright if he indulged in a lie or two. And, even if his life became so painful that he needed to submerge himself in a multitude of lies in order to live, then, at the least, he was grateful to have someone beside him who was capable of seeing the sky for the stars.


End file.
